In an interview with Cornwall Newswatch, hockey great Guy Lafleur was asked about recognizing Newsy Lalonde’s accomplishments in 2016 – a century after Lalonde helped power the Habs to their first Stanley Cup.

“There’s no right timing for that. Any time is the right timing. But I’m glad that the City of Cornwall did that today because he’s (Lalonde) from here and he did so much for the community so I think it’s important to remember this type of man,” Guy Lafleur told Cornwall Newswatch.

“This is amazing. I’m a hockey fan, right? A Cornwall fan too, but a hockey fan myself but seeing all this in the middle of summer, in the rink here, talking about hockey, talking about one of our own hockey heroes is just heartwarming…it’s a great day,” Lajoie told CNW.

“Being a fan of hockey and local history, for me Newsy’s a point of pride. It makes be proud to say I’m a Cornwallite. When you think about where you’re from and why you’re happy to be from a place…there’s a million things, for me one of the biggest is Newsy,” Lajoie said.

Lajoie added that Newsy Lalonde was a great ambassador. “Without being asked, he just went out there and, on his own, talked about being from Cornwall. Being proud to be from here. If we all did that, we’d all be much more proud of our city,” he said.

The blue and gold plaque is one of three plaques, commissioned by the Ontario Heritage Trust, to mark the lives of Lalonde, Jean-Baptiste Laviolette and Didier Pitre.

The plaque will be installed on the grounds of the civic complex.

Newsy Lalonde is regarded as one of hockey’s and lacrosse’s greatest players in the first half of the 20th century.